Wallace and Gromit makes Hollywood debut

Wallace and Gromit makes Hollywood debut

A host of stars today walked through a green carpet adorned with giant vegetables for the charity premiere of the first Wallace & Gromit feature film: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit at London's Odeon Leicester Square. The charity event organized simultaneously in London, Manchester and Bristol, aimed to raise money for Wallace & Gromit's Children Foundation, which works to improve the quality of life of children in hospitals throughout Britain.

Nick Park, 46, who co-directed the film with Steve Box, has already made three immensely popular Wallace and Gromit shorts. "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave" both won Oscars; the other one, "A Grand Day Out," lost out to "Creature Comforts" - directed by one N. Park. Park's first feature was "Chicken Run" (2000), a hugely successful spoof of "The Great Escape" starring a coop full of hens and an arrogant American rooster.

More Info

In the film, Wallace & Gromit are a pest-control partnership called "Anti-Pesto". They are given the job of capturing a rabbit monster which begins attacking the town's vegetable plots putting the future of giant vegetable competition in danger.

The celebrity list that attended the London premiere included Mark Gatiss of League of Gentleman fame, John Thompson of Cold Feet, actor Stephen Tompkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Geraldine McEwan and Peter Sallis. The last two have also lent their voices in the film.

Miss McEwan, who voices over Miss Thripp in the film, said: "It was fantastic to be part of a Wallace & Gromit film. I am very honoured, I cannot wait to see it". Peter Sallis, who voices the part of Wallace, paid tribute to Nick Park. Attending the Leicester Square premiere, he said: "Nick Park is a lovely man. I liked him immediately when I met him.”